Pepsis grossa
Pepsis grossa | |
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In Mexico | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Pompilidae |
Subfamily: | Pepsinae |
Genus: | Pepsis |
Species: | P. grossa
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Binomial name | |
Pepsis grossa | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Pepsis grossa is a very large species of
Taxonomy and description
Due in part to confusion over the distinctness of various color forms, until 2002 this species was known by the name Pepsis formosa, including a subspecies P. formosa pattoni, but C.R. Vardy synonymized both forms of P. formosa into P. grossa.[5]
The three color forms are normally geographically separated; the melanic form occurs in the western part of the North American range, the xanthic form predominates over the remainder of the distribution, except that lygamorphic individuals predominate in the southernmost part of the species range. Individuals of the melanic form of this species are difficult to separate from Pepsis mexicana, but P. mexicana is always noticeably smaller than it.[6] The female's body length is 30–51 mm (1.18–2.00 in), and the males measure 24–40 mm (0.94–1.57 in).[5] The black and orange colour pattern, combined with the wasps' jerky behaviour and strong odour, give an aposematic warning to predators.[7]
Males of this species are distinct within the genus Pepsis in that they have only 12
Distribution
This species is found from the southern United States of America as far north as Kansas through Mexico and Central America south to northern South America, including the Caribbean.[4]
Biology
These wasps prey almost exclusively on tarantulas of the family
Once a spider has been detected, the wasp uses its
The larva hatches from the egg and carefully consumes the paralysed spider, and when it is finished consuming the spider’s vital organs, the larva weaves a silken cocoon for itself. It then metamorphoses into a pupa before emerging as an adult wasp.[8] When the female is choosing spiders, she selects the larger specimens, usually females, to lay fertilised eggs on and these produce female wasps, unfertilised eggs are laid on captured male spiders and these hatch into male wasps.[7]
In
P. grossa forms mixed-species, mixed-sex aggregations that appear to be defensive in nature and probably assist in the location of resources and mating opportunities.[11]
Predators
These wasps are infrequently recorded as prey for other animals, with kingbirds (
Sting
Wasps of the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis produce large quantities of venom, and when stung, humans experience immediate, intense, excruciating short-term pain. Although the immediate pain of a tarantula hawk sting is among the greatest recorded for any stinging insect, the venom itself is not very toxic. The lethality of 65 mg/kg in mice for the venom of P. grossa reveals that the defensive value of the sting and the venom is based entirely upon pain. The pain experienced by the potential predator also forms an enabling basis for the evolution of aposematic coloration, aposematic odor, and a Müllerian mimicry complex involving most species of tarantula hawks as well as Batesian mimicry with other harmless insect species.[11]
Mimics
The
New Mexico state insect
A ballot to select a state insect for New Mexico was returned by almost 10,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from 100 New Mexico schools, and the tarantula hawk wasp was chosen by an overwhelming margin, receiving over 50% of the vote. On April 3, 1989, New Mexico Governor Garrey Carruthers signed House Bill No. 468 declaring that the tarantula hawk wasp Pepsis formosa was the official insect of the state of New Mexico.[15]
References
- ^ a b "Species details : Pepsis grossa (Fabricius, 1798)". ITIS. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Schmidt Pain Index (Which Sting Hurts the Worst?)". ScienceBlogs LLC. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Tarantula Hawk Wasp New Mexico State Insect". State Symbols USA. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Wasp Wednesday Pepsis grossa". Eric R. Eaton. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Vardy, C.R. (2002) The New World tarantula-hawk wasp genus Pepsis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae). Part 2. The P. grossa- to P. deaurata-groups. Zool.Verh. Leiden 338: 1-135.
- ^ a b "Species Pepsis grossa". Iowa State University. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ a b c "Instantaneous, Electrifying, Excruciating Pain The life history of the tarantula hawk is similar to that of many other solitary wasps. Its sting, however, is not". Justin O. Schmidt. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "The enticing Tarantula Hawk". wordpress.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ Punzo, Fred (2006). "Plants Whose Flowers Are Utilized by Adults of Pepsis Grossa Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) as a Source of Nectar". Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 15 (1).
- ^ a b Vardy, C.R. (2000). "The New World tarantula-hawk wasp genus Pepsis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae). Part 1. Introduction and the P. rubra species-group". Zool. Verh. Leiden. 332 (29.xii): 1–86.
- ^ doi:10.2317/e-39.1.
- ^ "Tarantula Hawk". blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ "A Born Mimic: Toxic Robber Fly Mimics Tarantula Hawk Wasp". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Tarantula Hawk – Big Sting". DFW Urban Wildlife. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ "New Mexico State Insect". NSTATE, LLC. Retrieved 11 September 2016.